Back to You
by missingstars89
Summary: "No matter how many planes I have to jump on, how many miles I have to drive or how long it takes- I'll always find my way back to you." [HIATUS]
1. Chapter 1

_"Caroline, come on!"_

 _She hears them calling her name but in that moment, she's too entranced by the dancer on the television to look away. Her eyes eagerly take in the lithe and graceful movements of the young woman as she spins around, her beautiful skirt flowing around her in a way she aims to imitate whenever she's at her own dance class when she envisions herself older and up on that stage looking as beautiful and graceful as the dancer on the screen._

 _She hears a bike break behind her but she doesn't turn. It's probably one of her friends getting impatient._

 _"That's going to be me one day," the blonde bubbly six year-old breathes out excitedly when the dancer bows after finishing her number._

 _The response that follows her comment has her snapping her head around in surprise and she's met by dimples and blue eyes that echo his words._

"Again from the top. Caroline, you need to watch your timing. You almost came in late there. Pay more attention, hm?"

She apologizes with a sheepish smile and absentmindedly pushes back some of the hair that had come undone from her bun as she went to resume her place.

"You okay?" she hears her partner ask quietly as he moves to take his place too.

She turns to find him regarding her almost curiously.

"Yeah," she smiles. "I'm fine."

She can tell he doesn't quite believe her but thankfully they get started again, putting an end to that conversation as soon he's moving along with the other dancers while she stands back and waits for her cue.

As she stands there, watching the other dancers moving so beautifully and gracefully, it's hard for her not to be reminded of the dancer on the screen and his words from that day that had somehow remained with her throughout the years.

 _"That's going to be me one day."_

 _"I know."_

xxx

Caroline sighs as she walks through her front door hours later, feeling more than exhausted and ready to take a long hot bath and just crawl into bed.

Her roommate looks up from where he's perched on the couch with the TV blaring in front of him before he turns off the sound.

"Good evening roomie. How were rehearsals?" he asks almost amusedly as he takes in the way she's practically dragging her duffel bag behind her.

"Long," she grumbles. "I should've listened to my mother and been an accountant."

He smirks as he stands up.

"Ideal on paper but I don't think you would've appreciated it all that much in practice. For starters, didn't you tell me you were terrible at math?" he jokes, grinning at her over his shoulder while she scowls at him.

"I told you I hated math, there's a difference!" she protests and he shoots her a too amused look that has her glaring at him.

"Come on don't be grumpy with me, I made us dinner," he says as he walks into their kitchen and proudly points to the mac-and-cheese in the small pot. "Tell me again who the best roommate is?"

Her lips twitch when her attention falls on the discarded mac-and-cheese boxes sitting on the edge of the counter and looks back at her roommate, looking down at her with such a proud look on his face and she can see the pride gleaming in those brown eyes. She can't bring herself to even attempt to make a joke about his choice of cuisine.

"I haven't eaten since breakfast so you're kind of a lifesaver," she smiles. "Thank you."

"Go set your stuff down, I'll serve the plates," he offers and she nods with a grateful smile.

When she comes back, he's set a bowl with generous servings of the cheesy meal for each of them and she readily takes the empty seat across from him.

"So are you all packed for next week?"

She tries not to tense at the mention of her upcoming trip and who precisely would be there.

"I was probably going to get to that this weekend," she tries to respond nonchalantly, taking another bite of her food.

His next words have her immediately regretting that action.

"Good, I'm sure your friends will be happy to hear that. You got a call from a Kol Mikaelson today-"

She starts to choke on that mouthful.

"You alright there gorgeous?" he asks, looking at her closely as if looking for any indication he should put that CPR class she had dragged him to a month ago to use.

"Fine," she manages to get out after she's stopped coughing.

He looks at her for a moment longer, as if he doesn't believe her.

"When did Kol call?" she asks almost hesitantly, no small part of her wondering how in the hell he got her home number before she remembers she gave it to Bonnie in case she couldn't reach her on her cell.

Yet another decision she suddenly regrets for the moment.

"A few hours ago?" he guesses. "He wanted to confirm you were in fact going next week and to remind you that short of actually being dead or in a coma, you had no excuse for not being there."

At this, she can't help but roll her eyes though it's only half-heartedly.

"Typical Kol," she mumbles.

"He sounds like an interesting bloke," Enzo comments. "He even invited me to come along to the festivities claiming that the more the merrier."

This time she smiles because yeah, that definitely sounded like the Kol she remembered.

"Does he make it a point to invite any random person to his celebrations?" he inquires curiously.

"Let's just say back in high school, Kol's parties were pretty much considered unofficial school events since he basically invited everyone and everything," she recalls with a smirk as she digs into her food again.

"Is that how you scored invites then?" he jokes, making her throw her crumpled napkin at him while fighting back a smile.

He smirks and easily dodges it. He picks up another bite of his dinner before looking back up at her.

"Question. This Kol Mikaelson wouldn't have any relation to the _Klaus Mikaelson_ you've been forcing me to watch on my TV screen every Saturday night does he?"

She doesn't think she's ever been more thankful that she hadn't taken another bite of food than she was in that moment.

She knows he's waiting for an answer and even though she'd rather not be having this discussion, she knows she can't entirely dodge it either.

"They're sort of brothers," she answers quickly. "And for the record, I may have forced you to watch at first but don't pretend you're totally not a fan now. I know you sometimes watch it without me, Lorenzo St. John!" she points a finger, her voice coming out a little louder than she intended it to.

He gapes at her for a second before he quickly shakes his head.

"Don't try to change the subject Forbes," he argues, pointing a finger at her too. "Your celebrity crushes' brother -oh don't give me that look I've seen how you stare at him on screen- knows you well enough to call you on our landline and you never mentioned knowing his family until now?" he asks incredulously. "Those are the gossip-worthy stories friends share with other friends."

Now it's her turn to shoot him a look.

"Hold on a minute. Have you actually met Klaus Mikaelson in person?"

She almost laughs even though there's nothing really amusing about it. She thinks about his question again, wondering how she even began to answer it.

 _"Caroline? Caroline are you okay?"_

 _"Does it hurt?"_

 _The four year-old looks up at her friends, sniffling as she stands back up, the tears freely streaming down her face now. The afterschool playground keeper is nowhere around to notice._

 _"Caroline it was the new kid who threw his ball at you," little Elena Gilbert says as she looks over at the pair of siblings who along with their family had moved to their small town recently._

 _Caroline looks over at them too, her tears now a mixture of pain and anger as she took in the boys standing across the playground from her, having heard a laugh come from their area just as the ball hit her._

 _Both boys are looking at her too but her gaze is trained on the older one who looked like he was six or seven. The sandy-haired one. She'd seen him only one other time from afar, in the town square with his family. She doesn't even know his name but she does know he's the same one she had noticed watching her earlier when she played a game of tag with her friends. The same one who had been kicking the ball around. The very ball that had somehow ended up hitting her on the back of the head and knocking her over._

 _"Sorry, it was an accident," the sandy-haired boy says as he reaches her, his eyes trained on her the entire time._

 _"You hurt my friend!" Elena pipes up before he can say anything._

 _"It was an accident-" he starts to repeat when they're interrupted by a newcomer._

 _"What's going on here?"_

 _Caroline wipes at her tears as she looks at the older lady who spoke funny just like the boy in front of her and realizes that must be his mom._

 _The woman looks between the group of kids before turning her attention back to her sandy-haired son._

 _"Niklaus?"_

 _Niklaus._

 _Caroline hears his name and stores it away almost like she knows that name's going to be important to her._

She almost smirks at the memory of how they used to tease her that she made her first enemy at the age of four.

"Earth to Caroline?"

Caroline fidgets with her fork almost nervously before responding.

"We…kind of grew up together. Bonnie, Kol, Klaus, we all did."

He's gaping at her again and it takes him a moment before he speaks again.

"And you never felt the need to mention this in the what? 6? 7 months since we've been rooming together? Not even during all those times we were watching him on our screen basically every week?"

She bites back a sigh as she sets down her fork.

"I didn't really see the point," she says with a wry smile, continuing when he gave her an incredulous look. "We all grew up together and yeah, Klaus and I were close friends. Eventually," she adds with a hint of an involuntary smile.

Once they got past their feud that started that day he threw the ball at her head and lasted almost two years.

Friends. Except for those times they were more.

"And then…?"

She feels a knot form in her throat but forces herself to speak anyway.

"I guess… we just drifted apart," she tries to say lightly with a slight shrug but her voice doesn't come out as convincing as she wishes it did. "It's all part of the grand circle of life isn't it?"

It's not the whole story, not even close, but it's all she can really bring herself to share in that moment.

"And I'm assuming he's going to be there on this trip next week?"

"Probably," she answers trying to appear nonchalant about the whole thing.

She can tell Enzo isn't that convinced either but he must see something on her face that keeps him from pushing it, something she's really grateful for.

"Perhaps you'll have to pester his brother for spoilers after that last bloody cliffhanger then," Enzo says with a smirk as he takes a bite of his food.

She laughs a little at that and nods and the two fall into a quiet silence for a moment.

"So are you coming?" she asks, looking up at him with a quirked brow and sees him look at her questioningly.

"I feel like there's some innuendo in there-"

He laughs when she throws the plastic fork sitting on the table at him.

"Are you being serious gorgeous?" he asks with raised eyebrows. "You really want me to go on this trip?"

She's excited to see Bonnie and the others, but the thought of having her roommate around too doesn't seem so bad.

"Why not?" she shrugs. "Kol obviously doesn't mind if you come and trust me, neither will Bonnie. So far I think you hold the highest roommate approval from her," she jokes. "I think it'll be fun and like you said, after that last cliffhanger, we definitely need some spoilers and maybe I'd be more successful if I had you there to tag team him with."

He smirks amusedly and shrugs too.

"Why not?" he agrees.

"Really?" she laughs lightly. "Just like that?"

"I am my own boss and we all know I can never pass up a good celebration anyway though hopefully this one doesn't end with a shoe up my ass."

She laughs again, once again regretting that she hadn't been there to witness that moment.

"And if it does, I'll be there to record it don't worry," she jokes.

He throws a crumpled napkin at her that she dodges and the two resume eating their dinner for another few minutes before he suddenly looks up at her with furrowed brows as if he just realized something.

"So where exactly is this grand celebration taking place?"

xxx

It's late by the time she's finally getting into bed, having maybe soaked in that bath and her thoughts for a little too long but at least her muscles are more relaxed now.

She sits on the edge of the bed by her nightstand and takes out an old photo album and turns to an old but familiar picture. It's one of her and her friends taken at the Grill.

She remembers everything about that night. Aside from it being one of the first times she was one of the leads in something that wasn't a high school production, it was also the night before he left for New Orleans.

 _"Congratulations, sweetie. You were amazing."_

 _Caroline hugs her mom with a small laugh, still feeling a bit of a high from the performance and the applause still ringing in her ears._

 _"Thank you," she smiles as she pulls back, taking in the sheriff's uniform. "Did you come here straight from the station?"_

 _"Yes, and unfortunately I have to head back there right now," Liz says regretfully. "We're down a deputy tonight so things are more hectic than usual."_

 _Caroline feels a small pang of disappointment, a part of her having wanted to celebrate with her mother for at least a little while. She'd been working so much lately, she felt like she rarely saw her anymore._

 _"I'm sorry Caroline, we'll go out to lunch this weekend to celebrate," Liz offers and Caroline plasters on a smile._

 _"It's okay. Pretty sure my friends wanted to do something tonight anyway," she says and Liz nods._

 _"Okay, just be careful and not too late," Liz says in that authoritative voice that's gotten more pronounced since she was named sheriff._

 _Caroline nods and Liz hugs her once more before leaving her as some of the other girls from the show crowd around the blonde, all congratulating one another on the show._

 _"There she is! Our star of the hour. Where's your other half?"_

 _Caroline rolls her eyes amusedly and turns to see the dark-haired and mischievous Mikaelson walking towards her, shooting flirtatious looks and smiles at the other dancers._

 _"What are you doing here, Kol?"_

 _"Just wanted to congratulate you on the performance tonight. As mother would say, it was a magical evening," he croons, making her laugh and roll her eyes again._

 _"Uh huh," she nods with feigned seriousness. "Don't pretend you're not back here looking to flirt with Bonnie some more."_

 _He smirks unabashedly, leaving her with a wink when he spots the pretty brunette._

 _Caroline hangs back and watches, unable to help the laugh that escapes her when she sees Kol pretend to bow before Bonnie before taking her hand and bringing it up to his lips while Bonnie does her best to maintain an unimpressed stare but even from where she's standing, Caroline can see the smile pulling on her friend's lips._

 _"Well he certainly knows how to lay it on thick doesn't he?" she hears another smooth and familiar accented voice and quickly turns around and is greeted by an equally familiar face._

 _"You came," she says, surprise and happiness coloring her face and tone._

 _"Where else would I be?" he smirks. "These are for you so you don't say I never got you anything," he adds jokingly as he hands her a small bouquet of her favorite flowers and she accepts it with a smile, ducking her head to sniff them to hide the small blush coloring her cheeks._

 _"What were you saying about laying it on too thick?" she teases and smiles a little more when she hears him chuckle._

 _"Some would call it being me my usual charming self," he retorts with a hint of those dimples._

 _"Whatever helps you sleep at night Mikaelson," she shoots back with a playful eye roll. "But these are beautiful, thank you," she adds earnestly before arching a brow and looking up at him amusedly when she spots one flower she knows did not come included with the others and it reminds her of the single flower he randomly gave her one day when she was 10, after he swiped it from his neighbor's yard during a game of hide and seek. "Did you steal this from the McKinney's garden again?"_

 _"Do you believe me capable of doing such a thing?" he replies all too innocently though the wicked mirth dancing in his eyes betrays him._

 _"I_ know _you're capable of far worst," she laughs under her breath and moves in to give him a hug, noting how even though he's gotten better about hugs over the years, he still tenses ever so slightly before he wraps his arms around her._

 _She pulls away before she can linger on how nice it feels and takes a step back._

 _At 16, she hasn't quite mastered the whole "discreetly checking out cute boys" thing quite yet even if said "cute boy" was one of her childhood friends that she should definitely not be checking out._

 _"Does my outfit suffice for tonight's occasion?"_

 _She looks up and catches the smirk on his lips as he gives her a pointed look and fights back the color threatening to appear on her face again as she rolls her eyes._

 _"I've seen worse," she shrugs nonchalantly._

 _"Ouch. Shouldn't you be nicer to me?" he chuckles. "I'm leaving town tomorrow after all."_

 _She feels her smile briefly falter before she quickly tries to mask it._

 _"So I've been hearing all summer," she replies. "Rebekah and Kol won't shut up about who's getting your room now that you're gonna be gone."_

 _"I'm surrounded by vultures," he smiles wryly._

 _"I'm surprised you're here tonight," she admits. "I thought you'd be packing?"_

 _"Already finished," he replies proudly and normally she would be impressed with his ability to pack everything at the last minute if it weren't for the fact that this news just made her feel…sad._

 _"Really?" she tries to say to keep the conversation going, the question coming out more incredulous than she meant it to._

 _"Don't sound so surprised," he retorts with a smirk. "But yes, really. You didn't really think I'd miss your big night and risk your wrath did you?"_

 _Despite his smirk, she can see the seriousness in his eyes and she feels something tug on her chest as a soft smile forms on her face._

 _"I knew I was friends with you for a reason," she jokes and he grins at her._

 _"You look beautiful tonight," he continues and even though he's Klaus and he really shouldn't affect her, she feels her face burn a little at his words and the way he's looking at her in that moment._

 _She notices the way his smile grows, almost like he's reading her thoughts, so she clears her throat and sticks her chin out almost proudly._

 _"Thank you. We all really worked hard to make sure we were ready for tonight and I don't just mean work on our make-up."_

 _That much was certainly true. She'd lost track of the number of times she'd all but crawled into bed after long nights at rehearsal. Most of her summer had been spent in the small dance studio._

 _"Well it certainly showed," he chuckles. "You were fantastic up there."_

 _She smiles at the compliment and honesty in his voice._

 _"So what now?" he asks._

 _She arches a brow and looks at him questioningly._

 _"You've conquered this one pony town so what comes next? Where will your next stage be?" he elaborates and she watches that almost devilish grin that appears again. "I believe you had mentioned New York? Or are you thinking something a little further from home? Like Rome?"_

 _She scoffs and shakes her head with an incredulous laugh._

 _"Paris?"_

 _She shoots him a look._

 _"Tokyo?" he continues with that teasing and dimpled grin._

 _She laughs again and even though she knows he's teasing her, part of her knows that he's being serious. That he really does believe she can make it there and honestly whenever she was around him, sometimes she could almost believe it too._

 _Still, she can't help but shake her head at the idea._

 _"Yeah, unless you're offering to take me, I don't think I'll be visiting any of those places any time soon," she chuckles._

 _"Well then I suppose I'll have to take you," he smiles. "Wherever you want."_

 _She rolls her eyes._

 _Even though she knew he only saw her as a friend, it seemed that 'shameless flirting' was encoded into Klaus Mikaelson's DNA. Or maybe it was a Mikaelson thing._

 _"I think there's only one trip you should be thinking about right now," she comments and she wonders if these last words sound as strained as they felt coming out of her mouth._

 _Before he can say anything though, she catches sight of Tatia Petrova glowering in their direction._

 _"Why is your girlfriend giving us the stink eye?" she asks, turning to look at him._

 _He glances in the direction she was just looking and watches as the brunette glares at him before pointedly looking away._

 _He shrugs, seemingly unfazed._

 _"Don't know," he replies simply. "Also, not my girlfriend."_

 _"What? Since when?!" she asks disbelievingly._

 _"A couple of weeks."_

 _Weeks?_

 _"Why didn't you say anything?" she blurts out and watches as his lips twitch._

 _"I didn't realize you cared?" he retorts with a hint of amusement coloring his voice and face._

 _She scowls even though she knows he has a point. She'd more or less made it a point to avoid hanging out with the couple if she could help it._

 _"It's called trying to be a good friend," she still argues. "You know, offering support and all that stuff?"_

 _He chuckles but she glances at him almost tentatively._

 _"Are you okay?"_

 _Even though she'd never been the biggest fan of Elena's older cousin (the girl was a little too flirtatious with Klaus' older brother Elijah for her liking), she knew that Klaus had actually really liked the brunette. She had suspected he maybe even loved her._

 _She feels her chest constrict at this last thought just like it did the first night she saw Klaus and Tatia together but just like then, she tries to shake it. She and Klaus were friends. Only friends and considering how they fought each other tooth and nail for several years, they were lucky they could even call themselves friends today._

 _"Yes," he replies almost amusedly, "I'm fine."_

 _She looks at him disbelievingly and studies him closely, looking for any sign that contradicts his words._

 _"If you're looking for me to break down, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed," he remarks with that hint of amusement growing more pronounced and she meets his gaze to see the mirth dancing in his eyes causing her to scowl again. "It really is fine, Caroline," he assures her, knowing she's not going to drop this. "Long distance simply doesn't work," he says simply. "It's better to leave like this with a clean break."_

 _"A clean break to date all those cute, smart and artsy college girls?" she quips._

 _"I was actually going to say so that I could focus on my studies but it's nice to know where your mind is," he teases, giving her a look that makes her narrow her eyes at him._

 _"There you are!" Rebekah exclaims as she spots them and makes her way over to them. "You still haven't changed?" she adds with a frown. "Oh bloody hell, Nik, you can distract her later!"_

 _She ignores Klaus' offended look and complaint that on the contrary, Caroline's always the one distracting him, and turns to her instead._

 _"Come on, we need to go celebrate! You showed up everyone on that stage, we made varsity cheer squad, and it's Nik's last night in town! We needed to be celebrating 10 minutes ago!"_

 _Caroline laughs and raises her hands in defeat after Rebekah shoots her an impatient look when she doesn't move to go change right away._

 _"I'm going! I'm going!"_

 _In the end, Kol, Bonnie and Matt end up joining them and the group ends up at the Mystic Grill for a few hours, talking, laughing and indulging in too much greasy food and rounds of pool until they're being kicked out since the little restaurant's closing for the night. They all decide on going back to the Mikaelson's for those drinks Rebekah had been wanting all night since their parents were out of town and Finn slept like the dead._

 _While Caroline had been more than up for a drink or two, her mother sent her a message saying she was home and asked if she was planning on coming home soon too while not so subtly reminding her that they agreed she wouldn't be out too late, making Caroline wince as she looks at the time._

 _"Sorry guys, but I'm gonna have to take a raincheck," she says regretfully as they all walk out of the restaurant._

 _"What? Why?" Rebekah immediately demands at the same time some of the others chime in with their own inquiries._

 _"My mom just texted and she wants me home," she informs the group. "And I'm pretty sure if I don't show up in the next twenty minutes, she'll come looking for me and the last thing we want is for the town sheriff to bust us for drinking," she points out matter-of-factly._

 _Though she can tell her friends are less than pleased, and truthfully, she's disappointed too, she knows she can't risk staying out tonight and her friends know it too._

 _"I'll drive Caroline home then I'll meet you lot at home," Klaus says. "But I can't make this an all night thing either, I do have an early day tomorrow."_

 _Caroline feels her stomach sink but doesn't say anything even as Kol grumbles something about him being a boring wanker._

 _"Thanks for driving me," she says after she bids goodbye to her friends and he drives them down the basically empty main road._

 _"Always my pleasure," he grins._

 _"Always so cheesy," she mutters back and smirks at the look he shoots her. "Eyes on the road!"_

 _He rolls his eyes but she sees the corners of his lips tug up and they fall into a comfortable silence for a moment before he speaks again._

 _"You really did look beautiful up there tonight."_

 _She fights back a smile (and a slight blush) as she looks out the window at the empty street._

 _"Thank you. I… I felt it. Beautiful, I mean. When I was up there, I've never felt more beautiful than I did right then. And it wasn't because of the make up or the dress or anything… it was … me," she confesses quietly, almost like a secret only to be shared with him. "I know that probably sounds weird and shallow and doesn't make any sense…"_

 _He smiles at her and shakes his head._

 _"It makes perfect sense," he answers. "When I looked at you on that stage tonight, I wasn't looking at your makeup or any of those things you mentioned. I was just looking at you."_

 _She feels a smile tug on her lips and he turns his attention back to the road._

 _"So you're all set for tomorrow then?" she tries to ask lightly, hating that pang in her chest that's been growing heavier as the night progressed and drew closer to a close._

 _She had tried telling herself at first that this would be just like all those other times him and his siblings would leave back to London every other summer vacation. This would just be like an extended vacation… a silly little lie she had never been able to believe but for some inexplicable reason tried to anyway._

 _She wonders if this is so hard because he's her first friend actually leaving or if it's because it's him._

 _"Just about. I just have to load the boxes into the car but I'll do that tonight and make Kol help me."_

 _She nods, trying to think of what to say, absentmindedly fiddling with the ribbon tying the bouquet he'd brought her._

 _"Are you nervous at all about moving so far away from home and your family?" she wonders, looking at him curiously._

 _"Not nervous," he says. "I feel…ready. Ready to leave this town and some of the memories behind me."_

 _She's fairly certain she knows which memories he'd rather forget and nods in understanding._

 _"I have a strange feeling I'll find myself missing my family and perhaps a few others from time to time," he says giving her a pointed a look before continuing, "Loathe as I am to admit it," he jokes with a wry smile and she feels a smile tug on her own lips. "But I can't stay here."_

 _She's not surprised by his words. He'd told her once, a small town life was not something for him and the way he'd talked about the world out there, all there was to see…it made her wonder if a small town life would be enough for her too._

 _"Because there's a whole world out there waiting for you," she recalls his words from one night with a trace of a smile._

 _Great cities and art, and music. Genuine beauty…_

 _Sometimes she envied how many places he had already visited while she had never really been anywhere._

 _He looks over at her and she can almost see the words in his expression._

 _Just like it's waiting for you._

 _He parks the car in front of her house and it feels like the car ride was far too short but she knows this is it. It's time to say goodbye._

 _"Well, thanks for the ride," she starts to say when she's surprised to see him unbuckle his seatbelt and start to open his door. "What are you doing?"_

 _He simply smirks at her over his shoulder as he closes the door and walks around to her side of the car._

 _"I'm seeing you to your door," he answers amusedly as he opens the passenger door for her._

 _"Why?" she blurts out, watching as the amusement grows more pronounced on his face as he sighs and helps her out of the car._

 _"Does a person need a reason to be a perfect gentleman?" he quips, quickly continuing when he notices the look she gives him and sees her open her mouth to respond with some witty remark. "Will you just humor me and let me be a perfect gentleman?"_

 _She laughs under breath but raises her hands innocently and allows him to escort her to her front door, a part of her more than a little touched by the gesture._

 _It's a nice little distraction for a few moments before they reach her front steps and reality hits her again._

 _"Well I guess this is it huh?" she tries to keep her voice light and even. "Have a safe trip…" she struggles finding the right words to say next so in true Caroline Forbes fashion, she starts to ramble. "And I know you hate it and think it's pointless, but New Orleans is huge and you never know how many creeps are out there, especially during Mardi Gras, like seriously you should see some of those news reports I found when doing my research on it, so anyway you should seriously consider using that pepper spray I got you."_

 _She watches as his lips twitch, almost like he's fighting back a laugh._

 _"Don't worry, I've already packed it," he says and she knows it's mostly just to appease her but she nods a little in relief._

 _"My mom also says it's a good idea to always have your keys ready in your hand when you're walking alone to your car and it's late."_

 _"I'll try to keep that in mind," he smirks, clearly amused by all her rambling._

 _She rolls her eyes but looks back at the person she's grown up and had countless adventures with, and feels that familiar knot form in her throat._

 _"And just, you know… While you're out there claiming the world or New Orleans or whatever… Just don't forget about us small town folk," she tries to joke, hating how her voice cracks at the same time tears form in her eyes without her permission and she has to look away, pretending to start fumbling through her bag for her keys._

 _She feels him nudge her shoulder lightly and turns to look up at him despite herself._

 _"You know this isn't goodbye don't you?" he asks with that trademark smirk still gracing his face but there's something almost gentle about his gaze. Something almost sad about it._

 _It makes her wonder if saying goodbye is as hard for him as it is for her._

 _"No matter where I go or how many cities I claim," he continues jokingly with a hint of those dimples but she sees the same look in his eyes. "Or no matter where you go or how many cities you conquer, no matter how many planes I have to jump on, or how many miles I have to drive or how long it takes-"_

 _She sees him bring up his hand and for a second thinks he's going to cradle the side of her face and tells herself that's not disappointment when he tucks a loose strand of her hair behind her ear instead._

 _She meets his gaze again, fighting back the tears though she knows it's a losing battle._

 _He speaks his next words so quietly, she wonders if he even meant for her to hear them._

 _"I'll always find my way back to you."_

 _She feels an involuntary and bright smile form on her face at his words and she doesn't know whether she should thank him (would that be weird?) but before she really gets the chance to mentally debate it, he's leaning in so quickly she barely has time to react._

 _She feels her heart thundering in her chest as she feels his lips press a feathery light kiss on her cheek -the first time he's kissed her- and her first thought is how soft his lips are. It makes her wonder how they would feel against her own._

 _He doesn't move away right away and she closes her eyes, relishing in the moment, his warmth, his scent._

 _She opens them again when he pulls back and meets his gaze as he gives her that devastating Klaus Mikaelson smile that's all dimples and makes her heart speed up. And maybe some would say that she's naive, she's heard the stories about people moving away and losing touch too, but she believes him._

 _Or maybe she needs to believe him because that's the only way she can let him go._

She closes the album and sets it back down in its place.

He's been on her mind a lot recently, especially after she got the call from Bonnie telling her that she and Kol were dating. She knew then that an encounter between her and Klaus was probable. Now… now it was inevitable.

But she tries not to think about that now and tries to think about rehearsals tomorrow and the moves she needs to focus on improving most as she finally lies down after her long day. Tries to think about the things she needs to do after rehearsals.

As she finally lies her head against that pillow, she tries to think about anything other than how maybe she still misses him. Tries not to wonder if maybe ironically enough, those very words he promised that night, the reason she could let him go then, perhaps are the very same reason she can't completely let him go now even if there have been times when she's desperately wanted to.

xxx

He brushes another careful stroke of color against the canvas, pausing with an irritated sigh when he hears the familiar sound of the front door slamming and high heels resounding against his newly polished floor before he sees an all too familiar blonde head.

"I just got off the phone with Kol," she says a means of greeting when she sees him.

"Hello little sister, please do let yourself into my home," he responds with a sarcastic smile.

She shoots him an equally sarcastic smile as she makes her way to his liquor cabinet.

"Is there even a point in me changing the locks?" he huffs exasperatedly as he watches her pick up one of his most expensive bottles of scotch.

"No," she smiles smugly as she pours herself a drink. "Anyway, like I was saying, Kol called. He's apparently starting up the celebrations early and wants us to arrive a few days earlier."

He snorts and picks up another brush.

"Yes, I got his message too. He's lucky I'm even going to the actual engagement party as it is," he says. "I'm not going to give him more opportunities to get one of us arrested or nearly killed like last time."

Indeed the imbecile had landed them all on the front page of every trashy tabloid in the country.

Rebekah just rolls her eyes and takes a sip of her drink.

"Would it really be a family reunion otherwise?" she smirks and he feels a smirk tug on his lips despite himself.

Still he says nothing else and keeps working on his painting though he feels her persistent and expectant stare on him.

"I'm not going to some bloody karaoke night," he grumbles finally, after it becomes impossible to focus on his work.

She gives him an almost smug look.

"Caroline will be there."

He hates that he gives her the reaction she's obviously looking for, but he can't help it. With those four words, he's suddenly frozen and a senior in high school again, being goaded into giving his sister a ride to the decade dance with these same words.

Still, he smirks and tries to pull off an indifferent expression, not wanting her to know how much her words still affect him so many years later.

Her smile grows, almost like she knows exactly what's going through his mind.

"But I'm sure with how many times you've spent sketching her over the last few years, that means nothing to you," she says with an overly sweet smile.

The smirk instantly falls off his face and he snarls at her as he feels a surge of anger that she's been looking through his private belongings.

"You had no right to go through my personal belongings," he growls. "If you ever go through them again-"

"I'm certain you'll find some way to torture me," she interrupts and downs the rest of her drink and sets down the empty glass, completely unfazed. "Suck it up and quit being a bloody wanker and change your flight so that the other bloody wanker will stop calling," she adds matter-of-factly. "Come on, Nik. One last hurrah. Before Kol ties the knot."

He glowers at her while he watches her leave, resisting the urge to break something.

He's furious that she would just go through his things, but what infuriates him even more is that she found his sketches of her. His secret no one was supposed to know about.

He throws the paintbrush back onto his table and stalks over to his liquor cabinet and pours himself a generous serving that he downs in almost one drink too.

As he feels the scotch burning down his throat, he glowers at the wall for a moment before he sets down the mostly empty glass and walks over to the cabinet by his window and opens one of the drawers. He picks up one of his sketchbooks and turns to the last sketch he did.

A sketch of her.

 _Caroline._

He did it on the day he read the headline from the Mystic Falls newspaper site.

 _Former Miss Mystic Falls Cast In Major New York Production_

There had been an old picture of her underneath and he wondered how much she'd changed since that picture had been taken. He wondered if her hair was longer or if she had changed in any other ways.

He didn't know. And maybe it killed him just a little that he didn't.

Still, he'd drawn her how he remembered her. Or he'd tried to.

He'd drawn her in that beautiful dress she always envisioned herself in.

 _"That's going to be me one day."_

He can't help the ghost of a smile that tugs on his lips at the memory and feels some of his irritation ebb away and soon he feels that familiar ache whenever he thinks about her.

He sets the sketchbook down and stares at it for a moment longer before the sound of his phone ringing snaps him out of his thoughts and he quickly pulls it out, almost like he's thankful for the interruption.

"Lucien? Were you able to schedule the meetings for next week?" he asks distractedly. "Excellent."

He listens to his assistant go on about other matters on his schedule and things he needs to attend to when his eyes fall on that sketch again.

"One more thing mate," he says as he closes his eyes and silently curses himself. "There's been a slight amendment to the plans next week. I need you to move up my flight."

As he gives Lucien the new details, he thinks of his sister's words.

One last hurrah.

He knows he may very well regret this but he tells himself that maybe this is what he needs.

He glances at her sketch one last time.

Maybe this what he needs to finally be able to move forward.

One way or another.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! :) This was a drabble request from tumblr that was requested to be put on here. Because it has another part I decided to make this its own thing to be easier to find and read instead of posting it as part of my drabble series on here.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much to everyone for your support and reviews with the last chapter! I really appreciate it! :)**

 **Now some of you have read part 2 on my tumblr but I did want to give you all a heads up that I have changed and added things so it this final result is a little different from what I originally posted.**

 **Again, thank you all so much for reading and your lovely feedback on the first part! Hope you all enjoy this next part as well. :)**

 **Also, please forgive any errors I didn't catch. :)**

* * *

 _Caroline sucks in a small breath as she tries to control her nerves and takes her seat before she starts fumbling with her seatbelt._

 _She'd so much rather be performing in front of a crowd than this._

 _She hasn't been on a plane in many years and she doesn't have the fondest memory of the last time she was on one. She hadn't been an avid fan of flying even then and she still vividly remembers how terrified she had been during the turbulence that had been so severe, even her mom had looked afraid as she'd clasped her small hand._

 _But she tries not to think about that now._

 _The sky looks dark and cloudy but thankfully, this trip for the basketball tournament is much shorter than the one she and her mom had taken to Oregon in mid December when storms were aplenty._

 _It's with these thoughts that she tries to calm herself down and pulls out her iPod, half listening to the chatter of the rest of her classmates and team as they all shuffle into their seats and throw their duffel bags into the overhead compartments._

 _She glances over to where Bonnie is sitting next to Kol Mikaelson, a look of annoyance already spreading across her face as he leans over her to set his stuff down and she almost sighs in relief that at least she's partnered up with Elena._

 _The last thing she needs is-_

" _Hello, Caroline," she hears his accented voice and quickly looks up to see Klaus looking down at her with his trademark smirk._

 _She arches a brow but before she can ask him what he's doing, he's speaking again._

" _May I?" he asks, nodding towards the empty seat beside her._

" _Elena's going to be here any minute-" she starts to say when he interrupts her._

" _Actually, Elena's already in her seat," he informs her all too happily. "We traded seats," he adds, looking back in the direction where the brunette was sitting._

" _What?" she all but sputters as she stands up and spins around to indeed see the brunette sitting and animatedly talking to Stefan._

 _That traitor._

 _She hears Klaus chuckle, almost as if he's reading her thoughts and he takes the opportunity to slip behind her and into the empty seat._

 _Scowling over in her friend's direction one more time for good measure, she turns around back in her seat to notice Klaus looking at her with no small trace of amusement._

" _Is the idea of sitting beside me that bad?" he smirks. "Though I can see how it might drive you crazy that this new seating arrangement messes with your careful plans to avoid me."_

 _She feels her face flush a bit but tries to hide it._

" _I'm not avoiding you," she denies, the response coming out defensive even to her own ears._

" _Is that why I've hardly seen you since Christmas break?" he counters with his trademark smirk but if she didn't know any better, she would almost say he sounded a little hurt. "I may not be 'Mr. Congeniality' like you so poetically put it, but even I can tell that you've been avoiding me."_

 _She has to look away at the almost hurt look on his face, the burning sensation in her face growing a little stronger as the guilt creeps up on her._

 _Maybe she has been avoiding him a little…though it hadn't been entirely on purpose. Not at first._

 _It all started when she came home from winter break after being forced to spend it with her dad in his new home 5 hours away. She still remembers how long and mostly miserable those 4 weeks had been. Still remembers how it felt even longer whenever she thought of her friends and him. Klaus._

 _Almost the whole break she'd thought of her last night in town and how he'd tried to cheer her up after he'd found her sulking in the small dance studio. She'd thought of how she'd laughed as he pulled her into a dance but that laughter had soon subsided and she'd thought of how nice it felt being so close to him like that and it made her wonder what it would be like being this close to him all the time._

 _Alone with these thoughts and no phone or computer to contact her friends (she'd lost "phone privileges" early on after an argument and snarky comment to her dad), the break had seemed even longer. But thankfully, all things must come to an end and so did that never ending break._

 _She can still vividly remember how excited she had been to return home, to see him, only to hear of the party Kol Mikaelson was throwing that night. She'd shown up, anxious to see and surprise her friends and Klaus, double checking her appearance one more time in their hall mirror when she'd frozen and felt like she received a sudden blow to the chest._

 _She'd stood there, frozen for a moment as she watched Klaus near the back patio, in the middle of a heated kiss with Tatia Petrova, Elena's older cousin that had moved to the small town right before Thanksgiving break. She didn't even know that Klaus knew her._

 _She didn't realize when the tears that had started forming in her eyes but she quickly tried to blink them away as she fought against that tightening in her chest. She was glad nobody had seen her as she'd quietly slipped out of the party and that nobody knew that she was there._

 _The next day, she'd learned from a disgruntled Elena that her cousin and Klaus had apparently become an item so when she'd seen them together at the Grill, it had been less of a blow but she hated that it still felt like a blow at all. So, she'd taken to avoiding the couple and maybe she'd been avoiding him too…It was easier to avoid the pit in her stomach this way._

" _I'm sorry," she says genuinely. "I've just… been busy," she adds on a little lamely._

 _It's not a total lie. She does run a busier schedule than most of her classmates, especially with preparations for auditions for the town ballet coming up and all the different committees she's involved in._

" _You've been busy?" he repeats, looking at her as if saying 'Is that the best you can do?'_

" _Yes, busy," she says a little defensively, maybe feeling a little cornered and the way he's looking at her not helping. "You know, as in doing stuff, helping out in the dance committee for the Valentine's dance, getting ready for auditions, meeting with Tyler-"_

" _Lockwood?" he interrupts, looking at her like she'd suddenly announced she beheaded his favorite horse. "So Kol's right and you have been ditching me for Lockwood? What happened to the quarterback?"_

 _At this, she can't help but roll her eyes because of the dramatic way in which he says it all. She seriously thinks he should go into acting sometimes._

" _His name's Matt and you know it," she says with a pointed look. "And not that it's your business, but nothing's going on there."_

 _He arches a brow in disbelief but she doesn't really feel like going into that story._

" _And I don't know that I'd believe anything Kol's told you but yeah, lately I have been hanging out with Tyler."_

" _I thought you didn't like the prick?" he interrupts before she can continue._

 _She really doesn't like him in the way Klaus is implying but…_

" _You know, now that I'm getting to know him better, he's not as bad as I thought," she shrugs._

 _She shoots him a look when she hears him let out a derisive snort._

" _Hey!" she protests. "You should know better than anyone that sometimes reputations aren't what they seem."_

" _He's been on your enemy list since your freshman year," he points out dryly._

" _I know and I'm not saying he wasn't an ass back then but people can change I guess," she shrugs again. "Even Tyler."_

" _He made you cry," he retorts._

" _So did you when we met remember? And I forgave you too," she points out. "Eventually."_

" _That was different," he argues, shooting her an offended look. "We were kids. And I wasn't_ trying _to make you cry."_

 _Now it's her turn to shoot him a look._

" _But now we're getting off topic. I believe we were talking about how you've been ditching me for Lockwood," he says, looking at her like she kicked his puppy or something of the equivalent._

" _I'm not 'ditching' you for Tyler," she denies. "We're stuck on this annoying history project together so we've been meeting up for that," she continues, starting to get annoyed with the way he's looking at her like she did something wrong. "And besides, I didn't think you noticed anything nowadays unless you could find it inside your girlfriend's mouth."_

 _She doesn't mean to say that last part but it just comes out like word vomit and she can feel her face flush a little as she looks away._

" _Is that why you've been avoiding me?"_

 _She can feel her face flush a little, wishing she wasn't having this conversation right now but knowing she has no way out of it because he won't drop it and also knows that he'll see through her lies._

" _Well now that you mention it, I'm not exactly dying to have front-row seats to you swapping spit with my friend's cousin," she says more sarcastically than she intended._

 _She's thankful for the interruption from one of their teachers as he comes down the aisle making sure all of his students are seated. Or at least, she's thankful until he reminds her that the plane is set to depart in just a few minutes and she sees the flight attendant making sure all the passengers are indeed in their seats and ready for departure._

 _She feels her hands go clammy as she glances out at the dark clouds sitting in the sky._

 _Caroline feels her heart pick up its pace but tries to hide it as she feels the plane start to move a few minutes later at the same time one of the other flight attendants begins his announcement over the intercom, welcoming everyone on board and giving safety instructions and points out the exits in case of an emergency._

You're fine _, she silently tells herself as she sucks in a breath._

" _Have you ever been on a plane before?" she hears him speak quietly next to her ear, reminding her that he's there._

" _It's been a while but yes," she answers somewhat stiffly, hating that he can pick up on her nervousness._

 _She tries to distract herself with her iPod but that distraction is short-lived when she suddenly feels the plane jerk a little as it starts to pick up speed._

 _She momentarily forgets about Klaus again, doesn't realize she's gripping the edge of the seat as the plane picks up more speed until she feels his hand settle on hers._

 _She turns to look at him and she's thankful to see no amusement on his face or in his eyes as he looks at her and gives her hand a small but reassuring squeeze and doesn't let go._

" _It helps if you lean back and close your eyes," he tells her quietly. "Kol will never admit it now but he used to be terrified of flying and it used to work for him."_

 _She finds herself nodding and giving him a small but grateful smile as she does what he suggested._

 _It sort of works… but she sucks in a breath and tightens her grip on the armrest when she feels the plane shake a little._

 _She's distracted however, when she feels him take one of her earbuds that were still sitting on her lap._

" _This band's still not grating your ears hm?" she hears him ask and she doesn't have to look at him to know he's smirking._

 _He was such a damn music snob sometimes._

" _Color me impressed."_

" _I'll color you green with envy instead," she retorts, keeping her eyes closed and trying to focus on what he's saying instead of the feeling like her stomach's hollowed out._

" _What's there to be envious of?" he chuckles. "You know they're going to be a 'has-been' group in a few years tops don't you?"_

" _They are not!" she argues, now opening her eyes to glare at him for talking down one of her favorite bands._

" _Afraid they are," he smiles smugly. "I asked my Magic 8 ball a few weeks ago."_

" _You're such an ass," she shakes her head, trying to fight back a smile and for a moment, she doesn't focus on the fact that the plane's still ascending._

" _Language Miss Forbes," he chides in a perfect imitation of the vice principal and she wants to laugh at his take on an American accent. "This is a school trip after all. Think of what your mother would say."_

 _She rolls her eyes but this time, she's unable to fight back the small smile that tugs on her lips._

" _Never mind, she'd probably agree with you," he says dryly and she can't help but laugh a little._

 _It was no secret to him that her mother hadn't been his biggest fan over something that was not entirely his fault. Not that her mother saw it that way._

" _Don't worry, I think she's warming up to you a little bit."_

" _Oh good," he remarks sarcastically. "It's only been a year. Maybe she'll fully warm up to me in the next decade. Or century."_

 _She giggles and nudges his shoulder playfully._

" _Well, at least I like you," she says and feels her cheeks redden a little at her confession so quickly continues. "Most days anyway."_

 _She smirks at him but feels her heart skip a beat at the smile that appears on his face._

 _It's small, but no less meaningful._

 _She forces herself to look away but then he speaks again._

" _I'll keep the snogging to a minimum," he says and she jerks her head around to look at him, wondering where the hell_ that _comment came from. "When I'm out in public or when you're around, I'll keep the snogging to a minimum."_

 _She feels that tightening in her chest again and this time, she's not sure if it's because of his words and the image of him with Tatia, or the meaning behind his words. She knows this is his way of telling her he wants her around and the truth is, she misses having him around too._

 _She gives him a small smile and slightly nods her head. She knows he's putting in an effort, she tells herself she can too. Although she's not sure she can stomach the sight of the two of them making out all over the place so she really hopes he'll keep his word on keeping the 'snogging to a minimum' or maybe she'll stick to avoiding them when they're together but stop avoiding Klaus altogether._

" _Good, because I think some people were ready to spray you two with water," she jokes and he smirks amusedly in response. "And by some people, I do mean your sister."_

 _He rolls his eyes and she turns her attention back to her iPod before looking back up at him after a minute of silence._

" _By the way? Snogging?" she mimics teasingly. "Can you be anymore British?"_

 _He shoots her a look but she can see the smile tugging on his lips._

" _I don't know can I?" he deadpans._

" _Are you going to start demanding a proper cup of coffee in a proper coffee pot?" she teases in a very poor imitation of his accent._

" _Was that supposed to be me?" he laughs, causing her to playfully glare at him. "They say imitation is the best form of flattery but I don't know if I should be offended right now."_

" _Shut up," she laughs, feeling her cheeks flush a little more brightly. "Your American accent isn't so hot either buddy."_

 _Total lie and he knows it if his expression is any indicator._

" _And yet it's still better than whatever that was," he shoots back with an excessive arrogance that makes her scoff._

 _Cocky jerk._

" _I think someone's in desperate need of some accent lessons," he chuckles. "In fact, I feel like it's my civic duty to give you some."_

 _She rolls her eyes again._

" _Remind me again why I put up with you?"_

 _At this, he shoots her a too pleased grin that showcases his dimples (that she tells herself it doesn't affect her at all) and she narrows her eyes at him._

" _Because I'm incredibly charming?" he smirks and Caroline can't help but snort, shooting him an unimpressed look that only seems to amuse him more. "Because I'm fairly certain you enjoy me as much as I enjoy you."_

 _She shoots him another look and rolls her eyes but he can see the hint of pink staining her cheeks and his smile widens._

" _Because you like me," he continues with a dimpled grin. "You said it yourself."_

 _She rolls her eyes and looks away._

" _I said_ most _days," she counters. "And obviously today's not one of those days."_

" _If you say so," he grins, looking far too pleased with himself._

 _She tries to keep a straight face but is ultimately unsuccessful when she hears him start laughing the more she pointedly ignores him and feels him nudging her side to get her attention._

 _And as she sits there trying to ignore him, she realizes how much she's missed this. Missed him._

 _As she's looking ahead, she notices one of the flight attendants walking down the aisle again and she realizes that the plane's leveled out. She hadn't even noticed and she knows it's because of him._

 _He effectively distracted her._

 _He took her mind off it._

"Twizzler?"

Caroline's pulled from her thoughts and turns to see Enzo offering her some of the bright red candy he was already munching on despite the early hour.

"I'm good thanks," she says as he takes another bite out of the candy and completely ignoring the flight attendant explaining the safety protocol instructions up front.

She forces herself to pay attention and not think about the long flight ahead. Turns out, her aversion to flying hasn't exactly gone away.

She feels the plane start to pick up speed and sucks in a small breath.

Gripping the armrest beside her, she leans back and closes her eyes.

xxx

Caroline tries to stifle a yawn as she makes her way through the crowded airport, but despite her exhaustion from spending the whole day traveling and layovers, not to mention the long rehearsals the day before, she feels her body growing more tense with every passing minute ever since the plane landed.

But she tries to shake the feeling and focus on the excitement that has also been growing at the realization that she's going to see Bonnie again. It's been far too long by her standards and she's missed her dearly. And maybe she's a little excited to see Kol again too.

And maybe a little anxious because maybe, thoughts of Kol lead to thoughts of other Mikaelson's and the vicious cycle ensues.

 _Bonnie. You're here for Bonnie._

"What's on your mind Gorgeous?" Enzo asks from beside her, visibly at ease as he takes in the crowded airport. "Wondering how many celebrities we'll be rubbing elbows with, being in the land of 'fame excess' and all?"

She feels a smirk tug on her lips even though her mind falls on one particular actor she's fairly certain they'll see that weekend.

"Are you? Got your autograph book ready?" she teases in an effort to distract herself as they weave their way through the crowd.

"Please," he scoffs. "Everyone knows a picture is the autograph of the 21st century," he adds with a wink.

She grins amusedly, not for the first time feeling grateful that her roommate decided to accompany her.

As they finally make their way down the escalators towards baggage claim, Caroline almost immediately sees Bonnie standing in the arrivals area, with a bright smile on her face that matches the one that breaks out on the blonde's own face.

It takes every will of effort not to push past the other people on the escalator but as soon as she steps off them, both girls are practically sprinting towards each other and pulling each other into tight hugs.

"Bonnie!" she squeals excitedly.

"I'm so glad you made it!" the other girl exclaims.

"Like I would miss this! You're engaged!"

"So I've heard," Bonnie says laughingly.

"Let me see that ring!" she demands.

They both laugh together as they pull away, Caroline taking the opportunity to quickly snatch up Bonnie's hand and inspect her beautiful ring even as Bonnie jokingly complains that she had already sent her pictures.

"Damn girl, now _that's_ a rock," she smirks while Bonnie laughs again. "Kol did good."

"Oh trust me, he knows," Bonnie says with an amused eye roll and she laughs at her friend's expression.

She's about to ask where the man in question is when-

"Well, well, well. If it isn't little Caroline Forbes in the flesh once again."

Bonnie rolls her eyes while Caroline feels her spine tense slightly in anticipation and turns around, her eyes meeting those of Kol Mikaelson in person for the first time in years.

She's seen him a few times in pictures that Bonnie sent and in the background during some Skype sessions with Bonnie before the latter shooed him out of the room, but this is the first time she's getting her first real look at him like this.

Though he obviously looks older than when she saw him in person last, he still has that same mischievous and amused glint in his brown eyes that match the smirk on his handsome face.

"It's good to see you, darling," he says and despite the smirk on his face, she's almost certain that he means it.

"It's good to see you too Kol," she says with a smile before adding, "And you do know I'm the exact age as your fiance and only a year younger than you right?" she asks with a quirked brow, referring to his "little Caroline Forbes" comment.

She hears the sound of a throat clearing behind them just then and quickly turns to see an amused looking Enzo.

 _Crap, Enzo!_

"I hate to interrupt the happy reunion but perhaps we should grab our bags before somebody snatches them?" he jokes.

She shoots him an apologetic smile at the realization that she kind of forgot all about him and left him there.

"Ah, so you must be the bloke I spoke to on the phone the other week," Kol comments as he takes in the other man and shakes his hand before turning back to her. "You know darling, I always knew you'd end up shacking up with a Brit, just not the one I originally thought."

She rolls her eyes, an action that Bonnie echoes as she elbows him in the ribs before shaking Enzo's hand.

"Enzo," her roommate introduces himself with a grin. "Nice to officially meet you in person Bonnie and not just in the background of a computer screen," he adds with a smirk while Bonnie grins and nods in agreement.

"I'm glad you could make it," Bonnie smiles. "And please try not to listen to anything Kol says. We usually don't," she adds jokingly while Kol shoots her an indignant look before catching sight of the teasing grin on Bonnie's face and pressing a quick kiss to her cheek.

Caroline watches as he murmurs something into Bonnie's ear that makes her friend narrow her eyes at him and swat his chest but she can also see the hint of color that appears on the brunette's cheeks.

The blonde smiles, remembering their bantering from their high school days but it's that look that he gives Bonnie, that look of pure adoration that's new and has her smile growing and the blush on Bonnie's cheeks brightening a little more.

It was no secret that Kol liked Bonnie back in high school (more than he let on), just like it was no secret that he never lasted more than a few weeks with his girlfriends which is why Bonnie never gave him a chance back then.

 _But now here they are…_

Bonnie looks up and catches her gaze, giving her an almost embarrassed smile before clearing her throat.

"So should we get your bags and head out then?" she asks a little loudly, shooting her a warning glare when she giggles at her friend's obvious embarrassment.

Kol smirks at the brunette in his arms, his amusement growing when she pushes him away.

"Yes, you're probably right darling," he agrees. "Traffic will be terrible at this hour and we wouldn't want dear old Bekah to get crankier than she already is if we keep her waiting too long."

"Rebekah's already here?" she asks in surprise.

"Yeah, her flight got in a couple of hours ago. She was tired from her flight so we let her sleep while we came to pick you up," Bonnie explains.

She gives Caroline a smile that the blonde finds comforting as she loops her arm through hers and starts leading the way to baggage claims.

And maybe for the first time since she set foot in that airport back in New York, she feels some of her anxiousness leave her knowing no matter what happens that weekend, she has her friends beside her.

xxx

After managing to weave their way through the heavy LA traffic miraculously in one piece (she made a mental vow not to _ever_ get in a car with Kol behind the wheel again), they finally pull into a gated driveway and Caroline's eyes widen a little.

To say Bonnie's and Kol's new place was gorgeous was an understatement.

As she gets out of the car, she feels Enzo come stand beside her, letting out a low whistle as he also takes in the large, and beautiful home too.

"We're definitely not in Kansas anymore, Gorgeous," he mutters.

She's about to answer when she sees Bonnie and Kol opening up the trunk to start taking out their bags and quickly scurries over to help -or _try_ to help- since Enzo and Kol insist on carrying the bags themselves, with the latter claiming in a too innocent tone that he wouldn't want her to think he was anything less than an _excellent_ host.

As soon as they're inside, Bonnie offers to show them up to their rooms and she takes her bag from Kol and the latter announces he's going to make everyone some drinks.

Caroline briefly wonders where Rebekah is but the house is quiet so she figures the other girl is probably still resting.

"Caroline, this will be your room and Enzo, this one will be yours," Bonnie says as she points to two different doors. "Your room has its own bathroom, Care and Enzo, I hope you don't mind but you'll be sharing one with Kol's brother. He won't be arriving until the weekend though so you'll have it to yourself for a few days," she adds and Caroline feels her body tense slightly at this last bit of information.

"No problem whatsoever," Enzo says with a perfectly charming smile. "I've always wanted to brag that I've shared a living space with a celebrity."

Caroline shoots him a look that Bonnie doesn't miss.

"I see Care's given you a rundown of the Mikaelson's?" Bonnie jokes. "Don't worry, he's pretty high maintenance which is a good thing in this case because it means he's not messy."

"We have that in common then," he says with a smirk as he looks in Caroline's direction and this time, she can't refrain from rolling her eyes but she reminds herself that right now is _so_ not the time to get into an argument over his cleaning habits.

Just then, Caroline hears a door open down the hall and sees a familiar individual walk out of the bedroom.

The woman pauses, taking in the small group gathered in the hallway, her piercing blue eyes lingering on Caroline.

"Hey Rebekah," she greets the other blonde with a somewhat nervous smile.

Carolin's seen the other blonde's face on advertisements for her fashion line but just like with Kol, this was the first time in years she was seeing her in person.

Rebekah for her part, doesn't respond right away, simply takes her in for a moment with an expression that's unreadable and Caroline tries not to visibly squirm under that damn powerful Mikaelson gaze she'd been subjected to on _far too many_ occasions in the past.

"Hello, Caroline," Rebekah finally responds, the corners of her lips curving into a smile that reminds her far too much of another certain Mikaelson.

As if she needs anymore reminders.

"Glad to hear you made it out of that one-pony town for good."

Caroline smiles a little at that.

"Yeah, me too," she says, giving the girl a small and almost tentative smile. "It's good to see you."

"Pardon the interruption but this is driving me crazy," Enzo interrupts suddenly, his focus on Rebekah. "Do I know you from somewhere, darling?"

Caroline turns to look at him questioningly while Rebekah raises a brow as she regards the man standing in front of her.

"Trust me _darling_ , if you'd met me before you wouldn't be questioning it."

Enzo chuckles, an almost pleased grin appearing on his face.

"Forgive me, I suppose I just haven't had the opportunity to meet someone as memorable as you obviously are," he retorts and now it's Caroline's turn to raise her brows because… _is he seriously flirting with Rebekah right now?_

"And you are?" Rebekah questions in an almost bored tone.

"Lorenzo, but you love, can call me Enzo," he responds smoothly as he extends out a hand.

 _Yep. Definitely flirting._

Fighting back the urge to roll her eyes at her roommate's antics, she watches with a hint of amusement as Rebekah seems completely unfazed by the obvious charm her roommate's turning on.

"Pleasure I'm sure," she responds as she briefly shakes his hand. "Now if you'll all excuse me, I need to speak with my idiotic brother about a pressing matter."

Enzo steps back and Rebekah leaves with a quick and final look at her. Caroline think she sees something in her gaze but the other blonde is gone before Caroline can even really question it.

As soon as she's gone, Caroline turns back to her roommate.

" _Seriously?_ You can flirt with _anyone_ in Los Angeles and you just have to flirt with _Rebekah Mikaelson_?" she asks with wide eyes. "You know one of her brothers will kill you right?"

She had a fairly good feeling she knew _which_ brother that would be.

"Come now Gorgeous, no need to be jealous," he jokes. "I wasn't flirting, I'm just a naturally charming man," he grins and this time Caroline doesn't fight the attempt to roll her eyes.

Bonnie grins amusedly as she looks between them.

"Well I hate to leave you guys like this, but I think I have a pretty good idea what Rebekah wants to talk to Kol about and since I'd actually like to have a chance to marry him instead of attending his funeral, I think I should probably check on them," she smiles apologetically. "I'll let you two start getting settled in and then I'll come check on you?"

"Yeah of course, go take care of whatever you need to and if you need backup, just use our signal," Caroline jokes, making the brunette laugh and nod her head in agreement.

Caroline opens the door to her room and lets herself in and after setting her stuff down, she walks over to the window, where the curtains have been opened, and takes in the beautiful view of their backyard complete with an amazing swimming pool that she _really_ hopes they get to explore at some point that weekend.

With an almost wistful sigh, she turns back to her bags however, the idea that her clothes are getting more wrinkled the longer they sit there, too much for her to ignore or put off.

She's in the middle of hanging up a dress when she hears a light knock on the door, shortly followed by Bonnie's voice.

"Come in," Caroline calls out, smiling at her friend when she walks in and closes the door behind her. "Everything go okay down there? No 'World War Mikaelson' erupting?"

"No, thankfully crisis averted," Bonnie laughs. "Today anyway."

Caroline smirks, years of witnessing the Mikaelson temper coming to the forefront.

"Settling in okay?" Bonnie asks as she makes her way to sit on the large and comfortable bed.

"Yeah, you might have a hard time getting me to leave after this weekend Bonnie Bennett," she jokes.

"Because that would be such a horrible thing," Bonnie smirks. "I would not say no to having you around and getting to see you more than once a year."

Caroline can't help but vehemently agree.

"Sometimes this whole 'adulting' thing and living across the country from each other really sucks," Caroline jokes.

"Yeah, sometimes I actually miss waking up ridiculously early to carpool to school," Bonnie smirks.

"Carpooling and jamming out to the Spice Girls," she chimes in with a grin. "Or the superior boy band, the Backstreet Boys."

"You're entitled to your wrong opinion, Care," Bonnie smirks while the blonde playfully glares at her.

"Speaking of people with wrong opinions when it comes to boy bands," Caroline jokes. "Is Elena coming this weekend?"

"No, she has her shift at the hospital this weekend," Bonnie answers. "She's been trying to take on more hours to help her prepare for her exam in a few months."

Caroline nods, feeling for her old friend.

"How's everything going with rehearsals?" Bonnie asks. "Are you excited for your big role?"

Caroline feels a smile tug on her lips.

"I am," she admits. "But not gonna lie, some days are really long and I can't feel my feet and it's a wonder I even make it to bed," she laughs a little. "But there's nothing else in the world I'd rather be doing."

"I'm really happy for you, Care," Bonnie smiles earnestly. "You're living out your dream."

"With a few adjustments," she tries to add laughingly, feeling a small knot form in her throat.

"Your parents would be really proud," Bonnie adds with a soft smile and Caroline feels her eyes grow a little misty as she returns her smile. "We all are."

"Thanks, Bon," she says genuinely.

"And did I tell you that Kol and I are looking into plane tickets for New York to attend a certain show?" Bonnie grins.

"You're coming?!" Caroline exclaims suddenly excited and feeling some of that sadness at the reminder of her parents ease a little.

"Um, yeah?!" Bonnie laughs. "You didn't think I'd miss it did you?!"

Caroline lets out an excited squeal and rushes to hug her friend.

"Did I ever tell you that you're the best Bonnie Bennett?"

"Not enough," Bonnie jokes, prompting the blonde to laugh as she pulls back. "But I'm glad you think so," Bonnie adds, giving her an almost nervous smile. "Because I kind of need to ask you for a really big favor."

"What's up?" she asks curiously.

"Well you see, with all this talk about engagements and weddings, I realized I'm going to need someone I really trust to stand up there with me as my maid of honor and I was hoping you'd want to take the job?" Bonnie asks with a bright up slightly nervous smile.

"Seriously?" Caroline gasps, laughing and feeling her eyes grow misty when Bonnie nods her head. "You don't even have to ask Bonnie Bennett, of course I would!" she exclaims happily. "In fact, I would be _honored_ to take the job," she asks with a wink.

The two girls laugh as Caroline pulls her friend in for a hug.

"God, I still can't believe you're getting married, Bon! I mean, I can because you're like the whole package but who would have thought it would be to the guy you _swore_ up and down that you did _not_ like for years," she adds teasingly and Bonnie rolls her eyes amusedly.

"Okay, you should understand the allure of the Mikaelson charm better than anyone!" Bonnie says only to seem like she immediately regrets it. "I-"

"It's fine Bon, it's not some taboo subject," she quickly tries to brush it off with a light laugh. "You're right, I did fall under the Mikaelson charm too. I mean let's face it, they can be charming bastards when they want to be," she continues jokingly.

Bonnie smirks in agreement before glancing back at her.

"I haven't really gotten a chance to talk to you about it," Bonnie starts. "How are you feeling about seeing the Mikaelson's this weekend?"

Caroline almost smiles at her friend's carefully crafted question, knowing what she's really asking is, _How are you feeling about seeing Klaus this weekend?_

She feels that twinge of nerves she's been feeling for over a week now but musters her best smile.

"I'm fine Bon, really," she assures her. "I knew they were all going to be here this weekend, even Klaus. It's not like we're the divorced couple who can't be in the same room- okay that was a horrible example because it's not like we dated much less _married_ but you get my meaning. It'll be fine," she insists firmly.

Maybe she's nervous as hell and sometimes the anticipation of seeing him again creeps up on her and drives her crazy, and maybe she's been thinking about him lately more than she would like to admit or she knows that she should, but she tells herself it will be fine. Even if she has to see him with his costar that he's apparently involved with according to various sites, she tells herself it will all be fine. No matter what happens this weekend, she'll be fine just like she was back then.

"And besides, this weekend is all about celebrating you and the future Mr. Bennett," she says. "You know, that actually has a nice ring to it," she adds laughingly.

Just then, they hear a knock on the door that was only partially closed, and it opens to reveal Enzo on the other side.

"Ladies," he greets with a smile. "Sorry to interrupt, I just wanted to return Gorgeous' cellphone charger that got mixed up with my stuff."

"Oh, thank you!" she exclaims gratefully as she stands to take it. "I thought I had forgotten it somewhere in the airport."

"Oh good, the rest of gang's all here," she hears Kol's familiar voice coming up from the stairs and looks behind Enzo to see him stop at the doorway to her room. "I trust our guests are settling in nicely?"

Enzo nods and while she nods too, the smile on Kol's face makes her almost narrow her eyes suspiciously.

"Yeah, thanks," she says as she eyes Kol almost cautiously.

"Excellent," he smirks. "Now, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is we seem to be out of the good margarita mix and as much as I adore my beautiful fiance, she has terrible taste when it comes to margarita mix so the other stuff tastes like sewer water."

Bonnie rolls her eyes and Caroline fights back a smile.

"So what's the good news?" she asks, fighting back a witty comment that she's sure will get them started on something else entirely and be counterproductive.

Kol looks at the group with that grin she had witnessed far too many times growing up, right before he would say announce a plan that was undoubtedly get them all into trouble.

 _Nice to know some things never change._

"How do you lot feel about some good old fashioned karaoke?"

xxx

It's hours later and Caroline's sides hurt from laughing too much, especially during Enzo's and Kol's rendition of _Don't Stop Believin_ '. She's had one too many drinks (she'd promised herself she'd only have the _one_ margarita), she's eaten way too many tacos and she knows when she's back at rehearsals this is going to bite her in the ass and yet, she can't bring herself to regret anything in that moment.

When they all decided to go out that evening, she wasn't really sure what to expect with the Mikaelson siblings in particular. Truth be told, she expected it to be awkward and while Rebekah's been mostly distant, Kol on the other hand, well one would think that no time had ever passed at all. He was his usual mischievous self though she can pick up on subtle changes in him and seeing him with Bonnie, it's definitely not a mystery why these two are getting married.

Just like she suspected, Enzo easily fit right in with the others, and it's even been a mix of annoyance and amusement watching him try - _and fail_ \- to flirt with Rebekah throughout the evening.

They're now on their third round of drinks and in the midst of relentless mocking and teasing and just general good humored bantering, it almost feels like old times back at the Grill.

Almost.

"So sweet Caroline," Kol starts as he finishes his drink. "Are you planning on finally taking your turn up there or are you going to hide back here all night?"

"Kol," Bonnie chastises with a light slap on the shoulder.

"What darling?" Kol protests innocently. "We've all taken our turn, I've even gone up there _twice_ now and-"

"And we all really wish you hadn't," Rebekah interjects dryly.

"And like I was saying," Kol continues, tossing a tortilla chip at his sister. "Obviously I've been the best but don't let that intimidate you darling," he says, turning his attention back to her with a mirth dancing in his eyes letting her know he's not entirely serious. "Not everyone can be as good as me."

"Leave her alone, Kol," Bonnie elbows him while Caroline rolls her eyes with half-feigned annoyance. "Care will get up there when she feels like it."

"Yeah, Gorgeous here just needs to work up that liquid courage a little bit more," Enzo smirks as he slides his mostly full drink closer to her, chuckling when she narrows her eyes at him.

"That or she just needs a different type of motivation," Kol snickers, continuing when they look at him questioningly. "I seem to recall a particular instance where you got up and serenaded a young bloke."

"Really, Kol?!"

"What darling?" Kol asks his fiance innocently. "I'm just trying to figure out if that's the motivation sweet Caroline here needs. I'd be more than happy to find a lad for you to serenade," he adds with a smirk as he turns back to her.

She glares at him and downs the rest of her drink in one go before settling the empty glass down on the table firmly as she stands up giving Kol an overly sweet smile.

"Don't come crying to me when I kick your ass at karaoke."

"Put your money where your mouth is, Forbes," he challenges.

Rolling her eyes amusedly, she walks away from their table, fighting back a blush when she hears her friends start loudly cheering.

She makes her way to the front to write down her name on the sign up list and looks for a song to pick when she spots a familiar one and smirks mischievously as a thought strikes her when she remembers Kol's grumbling every time ' _another bloody ballad_ ' was sung.

"Woooo! Go Care!" she hears Bonnie shout when she finally takes the stage and she laughs a little, feeling her face burn a little too, both because of the literal spotlight on her and the the sound of her friend's shouts that draw even more attention to her.

 _No backing down now Caroline._

"Hey everyone," she says with a nervous laugh. "Tonight is a very special occasion because we're celebrating the engagement of two people who could not be better suited for each other."

She smiles as most of the audience starts clapping, with Kol being the loudest as he points to himself and Bonnie while the other girl looks almost embarrassed at her fiance's antics.

"Now this next song is very special too because you see, the groom is a true romantic at heart, even if he doesn't like to admit it," she teases. "But he just can't get enough of those love ballads, especially Ed Sheeran, and fun fact here that not many people are aware of is that this next song is the very song that inspired the lucky groom-to-be to propose to his beautiful bride."

There's a chorus of "aww's" around the room and she winks over in the couple's direction, seeing Bonnie laughing and clapping amusedly while Kol is giving her a sarcastic smile, no doubt mentally flipping her off, and she sees even Rebekah looks amused from where she sits across from him.

She still feels nervous about singing in front of all of these people (she'd rather take dancing _anytime_ thank you very much) but when she finally hears the familiar tune start, she feels her nerves settle some.

 _I found a love for me  
_ _Darling just dive right in  
_ _And follow my lead_

She smiles a little as she hears Enzo and Bonnie's encouraging shouts, thinking how maybe she's not the only one who's indulged in a drink too many tonight.

' _Cause we were just kids when we fell in love  
_ _Not knowing what it was  
_ _I will not give you up this time_

She hears a few audience members start to slow clap along to the slow rhythm of the song and her smile grows a little as she lets herself get lost in the moment.

 _Darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own  
_ _And in your eyes you're holding mine_

She closes her eyes and lets herself get lost in the song, lost in the words, and maybe a little lost in her own memories.

 _Baby, I'm dancing in the dark  
_ _With you between my arms  
_ _Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song  
_ _When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath  
_ _But you heard it, darling, you look perfect tonight_

And maybe, these memories lead back to him.

" _Why am I the only one bussing tables and doing your jobs right now?" Caroline snaps at the group of huddled teens standing around laughing and talking amongst themselves._

 _The teenagers all look up at Caroline with terrified expressions when they see the chair of the 3 different prom committees glaring at them, none of them daring to move._

" _Why are you still just standing there?" she huffs. "Go!"_

 _They all scurry away and she shakes her head with an annoyed sigh, really wishing she had pushed so someone else could oversee clean up duty._

 _The dance was already winding down, most of the people had already started heading out to either a prom after party or to attend to whatever other plans they had made. Her own friends and Tyler had already left back to his place to set up for the party but she was stuck here. Overseeing clean up duty._

" _Now how'd I know I'd find you at the helm of this ship?" she hears an amused voice that she hadn't heard in too long but would still recognize anywhere._

 _She snaps her head around quicker than she thought was possible and sees a familiar pair of dimples and blue eyes that are shining with amusement and something else she doesn't take time to question as she all but jumps into his arms, causing him to let out a surprised but pleased laugh._

 _She's surprised when his own arms wrap around her, pulling her in closer as he holds her tightly against him for a moment so she's encased by the scent of his cologne and his scent that she's missed more than she knows she should have. Smiling, she holds him tighter and is surprised when he holds her just as tightly instead of letting go._

 _She takes a moment to breathe him in, to revel in the feel of him in her arms again, before pulling away, lest anyone see and get the wrong idea and start spreading rumors that would get back to her boyfriend. Tyler was already not fond of the Brit or their friendship as it was._

" _I take it you missed me?" he smirks when she pulls back._

 _She rolls her eyes but is unable to wipe the smile that appeared since she saw him off her face._

 _She hadn't seen him since last summer when he came to visit for a few weeks since the Mikaelson clan had all gone back to London for this last winter break and she almost can't believe he's really here right now. They had kept in touch as much as they could but it was getting more difficult with their different and increasingly packed schedules and besides, no phone call or text would compare to having him there in person._

 _She's not sure if she's imagining it, but she thinks he looks taller. His curls have grown out some as well and she has to fight back the urge to run her fingers through them. She also notices that he has a bit of stubble that's new but surprisingly finds she likes on him. The dark button-up and dark jeans he's wearing certainly look good on him too, but not wanting to get caught checking him out yet again, she quickly raises her eyes to meet his._

" _What are you doing here?!" she exclaims excitedly. "Wait! When did you get back into town? Are you here for the summer?! Like the_ whole _summer this time?!"_

" _Slow down there, love," he chuckles. "Which question would you like me to answer first?"_

" _All of them! But you can start by telling me w_ _hat you're doing sneaking into a 'lame high school prom'?" she asks with an arched brow. "I thought you'd definitely think you were too cool for them now that you're in college."_

" _First off, I'm_ not _sneaking in," he protests amusedly. "I'll have you know I know one of the chaperones and she let me in to see my sweet sister who called home demanding Kol bring her bag that he snuck out of her car. I decided I'd come to surprise her since I just got in earlier, and I decided I'd surprise another blonde whom I had suspected I would find bossing minions around and you did not disappoint."_

 _She rolls her eyes but still can't wipe that grin off her face._

" _And for the record, I would never call anything you worked so hard on, 'lame'," he adds and she can she the honesty in his eyes and feels her smile grow a little bit more._

" _Alright everyone, grab your dance partner and join us on the dance floor for the final dance of the evening," the DJ announces just then._

 _Time After Time starts to play through the speakers and she sees the last remaining couples link hands and head to the dance floor._

 _She notices Klaus glance around too and wonders if this is the part where he says goodbye and she's almost unsettled by how quickly every part of her seems to protest at the thought._

" _Isn't this the part where Lockwood comes to swoop you away?" he asks with a hint of sarcasm._

 _Needless to say, Klaus had never gotten over his aversion to Tyler even if she had._

" _He would if he were here right now," she answers, giving him a warning look to be nice. "But he's getting everything set up for the party at his place while I oversee clean up duty here."_

" _Oh?" he asks with new and clear intrigue. "In that case…"_

 _She watches on in confusion as he offers her his hand, a small but dimpled smile on his face as he keeps his eyes on hers._

" _What are you…"_

" _Will you do me the honor of having your last dance Caroline Forbes?" he asks with that smile still in place, looking perfectly serious as he waits for her to answer._

" _Seriously?" she asks, a small but surprised laugh escaping her as she looks down between his hand and back up at him and she can feel her heart start to pick up its pace._

" _Seriously," he responds, all dimples and amusement and perhaps a hint of nerves._

 _Or maybe that's just her projecting._

" _One dance," he smirks, looking intently at her. "I won't bite."_

 _She rolls her eyes amusedly but takes his hand and follows him as he leads her backwards out onto the dance floor, never taking his eyes off her nor she off him._

 _A smile tugs on her lips as he slowly spins her around. He puts a hand on her waist and pulls her close so she can feel his lean and firm body against hers and in that moment, dancing there with him, with him between her arms, his scent and warmth enveloping her again, it feels like she's gotten back some part of her she didn't know how much she desperately missed until she got it back._

 _She wonders if he feels the same when she feels him tighten his hold and tug her closer, almost like there was too much space between them._

 _The two dance in a comfortable silence for a short while before she feels him lower his head slightly and next feels his warmth breath fanning against her ear, making her suppress a shiver._

" _You look beautiful tonight, Caroline," he whispers._

 _She feels her cheeks flush at his words because while she's heard several compliments tonight, there's a raw honesty with Klaus that affects her more than a million compliments from the rest of the world ever could._

 _Still, she tries to laugh it off and shakes her head slightly, prompting him to pull back slightly and look at her._

" _I probably look like a hot mess from dancing all night," she says laughingly._

 _He smiles a smile that showcases those dimples that she's always been a little partial to._

" _Doesn't make you look any less stunning."_

 _She furiously tries to fight back the color rushing to her face and tries to keep from smiling like a maniac and maybe she's not entirely successful but it's hard to mind when he's looking at her the way he is._

" _I think somebody's growing soft on me," she tries to tease. "That, or you just missed me too."_

 _He laughs, a low and genuine laugh that makes her heart constrict. A perfect reminder of how much she's missed him._

" _Perhaps," he smirks._

 _The two share a smile and continue to dance around that mostly empty dance floor, completely oblivious to the rest of the world around them._

 _She may not have won prom queen, but dancing in that mostly empty room with Klaus between his arms, she feels like she's won something infinitely better and all she knows in that moment is that she's in no rush for it to end._

Caroline tries to fight back the memories of this night that she never lets herself quite linger on and tries to fight the small knot that seems to have formed in her throat.

She keeps her eyes closed, not daring to open them as she continues singing and she doesn't know if it's because of the song or the feelings this memory has brought, but standing on that brightly lit stage, she imagines she feels his familiar gaze on her in the middle of that crowded room. Imagines that he'll be there if she just opens her eyes, watching her on that stage just like old times.

The music plays on and she keeps her eyes closed, and she doesn't know why, but she lets herself pretend for just a moment that he's really there and everything is like it was once upon a time.

Imagines that he's there, looking at her like he only seemed to. Like he looked at her that night. Tries to imagine that no matter what had happened and how many years had seen them grow together and then apart, for just that moment, she tries to imagine that had not changed.

 _Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms  
Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song_

And as she stands there, singing the final chorus of her song, imagining those stormy blue eyes she once knew as well as her own, she can't help but wonder when her song became about them.

Became about him.

 _You look perfect tonight_

Because she knows that in the moment, she was singing to him alone even if he wasn't there to hear it.

xxx

He stands there, tucked away in a corner by the back exit where he's mostly hidden, watching the stunning blonde finish her song with rapt attention.

The place could be falling down around him but Klaus Mikaelson would never notice, his entire focus only on the blonde on that stage. Just like it had been since the moment he walked into the crowded bar after he'd heard her voice from where he lingered outside debating with himself on whether to go in or simply leave. But the second he'd heard her voice, heard her laugh, he was powerless but to follow the sound that he knew would lead him to her.

And now he stands there, the closest he's been to her in years and yet it's not close enough but he can't bring himself to move closer.

 _You look perfect tonight_

He almost smiles at how fitting those words are. Almost smiles at how he's been thinking those very words about her since the moment he saw her up on that stage.

Almost smiles at the irony of how he's been thinking those very same words about her every time he's laid eyes on her since they were kids.

No matter how many years saw them grow together and then apart, that much has not changed.

And as he moves just a little closer when he hears the crowd start to cheer, eyes greedily drinking her in the entire time after years of relying on his memory and old photographs alone, he suspects it never will.

xxx

Caroline smiles as she hears the crowd break out into applause as the music comes to an end. Shakes her head slightly with a small laugh when she hears her friends cheer loudest of all.

She finally opens her eyes and looks out at the crowd that stares right back...and that's when she sees the face she hasn't seen in years but never learned how to forget.

In the middle of that crowded room, her eyes easily find him, just like they always used to.

 _Klaus..._

* * *

 **Thanks for reading everyone! This was a longer one, sorry! I had some requests for a part 3 and as you can all probably guess by that ending, yes, a third part is coming :) Thanks again for reading and please, if you have time and would like to, please share your thoughts with me? :)**


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